View allAll Photos Tagged breeding
Taken at Sandy Camp Road Wetlands Reserve, Lytton, Old.
The brightly coloured breeding male has chestnut shoulders and azure crown and ear coverts, while non-breeding males, females and juveniles have predominantly grey-brown plumage. Breeding generally occurs from early spring until late summer. Seasonal variations, geographical location and food supply affect this so that they have been recorded breeding in almost every month of the year.
Nikon D500, Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens, 600mm, f/6.3, 1/250, ISO 400. Breeding male warbler. View Large.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Sacred Kingfisher
Scientific Name: Todiramphus sanctus
Description: The Sacred Kingfisher is a medium sized kingfisher. It has a turquoise back, turquoise blue rump and tail, buff-white underparts and a broad cream collar. There is a broad black eye stripe extending from bill to nape of neck. Both sexes are similar, although the female is generally lighter with duller upper parts. Young birds are similar to the female, but have varying amounts of rusty-brown edging to feathers on the collar and underparts, and buff edges on the wing coverts.
Distribution: The Sacred Kingfisher is common and familiar throughout the coastal regions of mainland Australia and less common throughout Tasmania. The species is also found on islands from Australasia to Indonesia and New Zealand.
Habitat: The Sacred Kingfisher inhabits woodlands, mangroves and paperbark forests, tall open eucalypt forest and melaleuca forest.
Seasonal movements: In Australia, Sacred Kingfishers spend the winter in the north of their range and return south in the spring to breed.
Feeding: Sacred Kingfishers forage mainly on the land, only occasionally capturing prey in the water. They feed on crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae and, infrequently, fish. The birds perch on low exposed branch on the lookout for prey. Once prey is located, the Sacred Kingfisher swoops down and grasps it in its bill, returning to the perch to eat it.
Breeding: For most of the year Sacred Kingfishers are mainly solitary, pairing only for the breeding season. Usually two clutches are laid in a season. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is normally a burrow in a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank. The nest chamber is unlined and can be up to 20m above the ground. Both sexes also incubate the eggs and care for the young.
Calls: The voice of the Sacred Kingfisher is a loud "ek ek ek ek" repeated continuously throughout breeding season. Birds also give a "kee kee kee" in excitement and a series of chirring, scolding notes when alarmed.
Minimum Size: 19cm
Maximum Size: 24cm
Average size: 21cm
Average weight: 45g
Breeding season: September to December; occasionally extended to March, if conditions are favourable.
Clutch Size: 3 to 6
Incubation: 18 days
Nestling Period: 26 days
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")
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© Chris Burns 2025
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P1490528 - Black Redstart - Breeding-plumage - Size 15 cm
# 368 - 23 Mar '24 - 16:36 (11:06 GMT)
At - The Resort where we stayed in .. Leh - Ladakh - Kashmir - Trans-Himalayas 3,525m (11,565 ft)
Black redstart - (Phoenicurus ochruros) - is a small passerine bird in the redstart genus Phoenicurus. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Muscicapidae).
Also known as - Tithy's Redstart, Blackstart and Black Redtail
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WONDERFUL FACTS - The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is among world’s heaviest flying bird species.
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An uninhabited island in the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile. An important breeding area for the Magellanic penguin.
It is one of the spectacled penguins (Spheniscus) in the south of South America.
Its name comes from the fact that it occurs on the coasts of the “Terra Magellanica”, the Patagonian region.
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Eine unbewohnte Insel in der Magellanstraße im Süden Chiles. Ein wichtiges Brutgebiet für den Magellanpinguin.
Er gehört zu den Brillenpinguinen (Spheniscus), im Süden Südamerikas.
Sein Name da er an den Küsten der „Terra Magellanica“ vorkommt, dem Gebiet Patagoniens.
A male Ruff (Calidris pugnax) in breeding plumage. From Varangerhalvøya National Park in Norway, 07-06-2023.
The image was taken handheld during my own private tour. The camo poncho was used.
Thanks a lot, everyone, for stopping by, for looking at my work, for your comments and likes! Much appreciated!
For years I have been hoping for a better shot of a Yellow-rumped warbler other than seeing a yellow rump flying away from me or flitting from branch to branch and around the trunks of any birch he could find. The odd thing was that the closest I got to a male Yellow-rumped Warbler was a close relative (www.flickr.com/photos/ethanwinning/25924883922/), the Audubon Warbler. This is both and interesting and confusing bird which I'll explain in a minute.
So after years of trying and getting iffy shots of the YRW, I was walking home today and I spotted what I thought was a warbler in one of the six Coastal Redwoods that stand across the street from my home, and which I have seen every day for 44 years. I ran home, got my camera, and shot 90 images and here's the best of what I got, a male Yellow-rumped Warbler in early winter plumage.
Why is the species so confusing. Well, its range is ... all over the map, but that doesn't mean that a Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler is the same as a Western Yellow-rumped Warbler. I usually use four guidebooks and two apps when I have trouble with the information about a bird. Well, my six sources ALL conflict. All I know is that I'm in California and this is a YRW, and that's good enough for me until I can find a male in full breeding plumage.
More shots of the Hoopoe taking sandbath. We were lucky to sight this delightful Hoopoe enjoying a sand bath on a country road. It was patient and we lay down flat on the ground and watched it for about 10-15 minutes. The bird was turning 360 degrees and hence there are shots from all the angles.
I had seen it taking sunbath before and interestingly, both the days were a bit cold and it was either during mornings or evenings like this one. Is there a preference for sunbathing in these times? I don't know, but would surely like to keep watch and take notes henceforth.
Hoopoe are resident birds in India and could be seen throughout the year. But the end of rainy season and early winter brings them out more often. Soon the breeding season will start and hence there will be lot more activity.
Thanks in advance for your views and feedback.
IMG_2164
identification with the courtesy of Rick Leinen. Seen at the Sable Dam, near the Phalaborwa Gate - Kruger National Park, South Africa on 24.11.2020 Thank you very much, Rick, appreciated!
Black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus).
Stilts are generally very protective parents in the breeding season - patience and a quiet well screened hide allowed me to get some shots without alarming them.
Clicked in its breeding plumage. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a Pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season as clearly seen in this shot. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. This species is almost unmistakable in most of its range. Eurasian Spoonbills show a preference for extensive shallow, wetlands with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds
Great Egret in breeding plumage, Alligator Breeding Marsh and Wading Bird Rookery, Gatorland, Orlando, Florida. The beautiful breeding plumage on this Great Egret reminded me of the iconic "white dress" photo of Marilyn Monroe. On September 15, 1955, Marilyn stood above a New York City subway grate wearing a white dress while filming The Seven-Year Itch. As a train passed underground, her dress blew upwards, with Marilyn flirtatiously trying to keep it down. While the moment only lasted a couple of seconds on film, it became one of the most iconic scenes in movie history—and that little white number is now one the most famous dresses of all time. "Forever Marilyn" is a giant statue of Marilyn Monroe designed by Seward Johnson. The statue is a representation of one of the most famous images of Monroe.
Shannon O'Shea Wildlife Photography
After breeding time Blue Tits and many other birds seemed rare in the City - maybe showing their offspring the countryside?
At least - now they're back.
Nach der Nistzeit machten sich Blaumeisen ziemlich rar in der Stadt -vielleicht um dem Nachwuchs das Umland zu zeigen?
Jetzt sind sie zum Glück zurück.
This grebe caused quite a sensation when it was spotted at a reservoir on the Western Slope of Colorado: not a normal location for this species. It is sporting its breeding plumage.
Naples Botanical Gardens
Southwest Florida
USA
Another image of my favorite mockingbird.
The northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather.
This species has rarely been observed in Europe. The northern mockingbird is known for its mimicking ability, as reflected by the meaning of its scientific name, "many-tongued mimic".
The northern mockingbird is an omnivore. It eats both insects and fruits. It is often found in open areas and forest edges but forages in grassy land.
The northern mockingbird breeds in southeastern Canada, the United States, northern Mexico, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and the Greater Antilles.
The northern mockingbird is listed as of Least Concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The northern mockingbird is known for its intelligence. A 2009 study showed that the bird was able to recognize individual humans, particularly noting those who had previously been intruders or threats. Birds recognize their breeding spots and return to areas in which they had greatest success in previous years. Urban birds are more likely to demonstrate this behavior. - Wikipedia
The western half of North America is the breeding territory for this oriole. Wintering range is Mexico. From experience in this part of California, breeding takes place from the first week in May through last last week in July. I don't know hwere they comes from or go to, but I do know it's one of the hardest birds I've ever tried to photograph.
"Officialy," Bullock's orioles are native to western North America, though they are sometimes found as vagrants in the eastern half of the continent. During the breeding season, they are found as far west as the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range. Their breeding range stretches east to the Dakotas, Kansas, and northern Central Texas.[This species can be found as far north as British Columbia in Canada and as far south as Sonora or Durango in Mexico.4] It is common throughout its range, but is absent in parts of Arizona and Idaho, where a combination of extreme elevation and an arid climate make for poor living conditions. During winter, this species retreats to Mexico and northern Central America. Its winter range extends south and east from Sinaloa to Oaxaca.
They are secretive, usually nesting deep in oak trees with wonderful nests made of ... everything. The last nest I found was more full of plastic that the country dump (see below). Bullock's orioles are seasonally monogamous. The breeding season typically lasts from May until July. The exact timing of the beginning of the breeding season tends to vary geographically; in general, breeding begins later in the northernmost and westernmost portions of its geographic range. Mated pairs of Bullock's orioles cooperate to weave deep, pendant baskets in which are deposited between three and six eggs, though females tend to do much of the work. The nest is woven of plant fibers, primarily bark and fine grass fiber, though animal hair is also commonly used. The nest is lined with down, hair, and moss.
The call of the Bullock's Oriole is one of the best ways to home in on where it's at. A loud ratcheting sound that is given just as they take off and through the flight to landing. You miught have as many as six seconds to find and fix on this beautiful bird.
A Great Blue Heron in breeding plumage lifting off in the early morning light at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Florida.
It was early, before sunrise and the Green Heron was up and about, perhaps thinking about where to seek out some breakfast. It was also late in the season for it to still be decked out in breeding plumage. On Armand Bayou.
Nikon D500, Sigma 150-600mm Sports lens, 600mm, f/6.3, 1/400, ISO 180. Male in breeding plumage. View Large.
breeding plumage in Hawaii
Holarctic shorebird with wide ranging migration from breeding areas in the high arctic to southern sea coasts from southern South America, across the Pacific Ocean , SE Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
These Red Avadavats (also known as Strawberry finches) are in their peak breeding season. The males look superb - bright red with white spots on the body and are hard to miss. These are resident finches found throughout the year, but are in their breeding plumage from around june/july till December. Around 10 cms long, they can be seen around bushes and scrubs flying around. I don't think they started nesting yet, but thats due shortly after the rains end.
They nest in small dry bushes dotting the countryside and once the bush is selected, they start collecting nesting materials for the build. We came across a dozen of them on a visit to a grassland and all of them are in prime breeding plumage including the females. They haven't paired yet from what I can see and once that is done, I suppose the nest building begins.
Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.